Hand luggage



Dec. 18, 1934. G. H. WHEARY 1,984,446

HAND LUGGAGE Filed Julie l5, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l I INVE/V TOR 550/75 fzf-iwry M55527 BY Mu W A TTOP/VEV Dec. 18, 1934. G WHEARY I Q 1,984,446

HAND LUGGAGE Filed June 15, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE N TOR A 7' TORNEY Patented Dec. 18, 1934 PATENT OF F C HAND LUGGAGE George Henry Wheary, Racine, Wis;, assignor to Wheary TrunkCompany, Racine, Wis., a corporationl of Wisconsin Application.June 15, .1931, SerialNo. 544,508

11 Claims.

This invention relatesto hand luggage and more particularly to the constructionof a Gladstone :bag having. a wardrobe section therein.

It is an object of the inventionto produce a bag of theGladstone type having one compartment therein solely :for shirts, ties and other articles of apparel and another compartment which will accommodate a limited number of the latter articles and in addition have a hanger for a mans suit to keep thesuit'in press without wrinkling.

Another object of this inventionzis to provide means for carrying a mans'suit or" similar garment neatly folded within a semi-flexiblebag of the. Gladstone type in such a' manner that the garment is protectedfrom'contactwith the side walls of the bag or articles carried-inthe' bag which might, upon contact with the garment, crush or wrinkle'the same.

It is a further object of the invention to are rangethe hanger in such amanner that the bag may be spread out fiat and the hanger placed above either compartment.

In previous wardrobe suitcases utilizing-a retaining board, the retaining board has been supported at only two points. This'practice has led to warping and deformation of the board, .and necessitated frequent renewals.

It is, therefore, an object of the present inven- 0 tion to provide a garment receiving frame having a retaining board supported at allfour corners thereof, without the necessity of having more than two locking members.

With these and other objects in view, the nature of which will appear as'the description pro.- ceeds, there. hasv been provided the following preferred form illustratedin' the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a bag 40 of the'Gladstone type with the wardrobe attachment in place;

Figure 2 is a perspective view partly in cross section, showing details of the bag;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken through the center of'the bag Figure 4shows'a detailof the retaining board and the carrying frame in perspective;

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several 50 views, the bag comprises a pair of article receiving sections and 11' hinged as'shown at 12 and providedwith a lock 13 on the side opposite the'hinge'. A separator generally designated 14 is attachedadjacent'thehinge 12andis adaptedto seat on inwardly projecting ridgeslfi and 17 which project into the sections-10 and 11 respectively.

The. separator 14: is" herein shown provided with a semi-rigid compartment 20 which projects into the article compartment 11 when the bag is closed and has two sections therein 21 and 22, and a cover 23 covering both sections.

The cover 23 is fastened to the member 20 by means of a lock 24. The section 21 may be used conveniently for neckties, handkerchiefs or other small articles while the section 22 may accommodate shirts etc.

The wardrobe feature of the suit case is contained in the compartment 10 opposite to the semi rigid compartment 20 and comprises a garment carrying frame generally designated 28, which has a pair of parallel side arms 29. The arms 29 are turned upwardly towards the center of the bag as shown at 30 in Figures 3 and 4 and have brackets 33 fixed thereto, the brackets are rigidly connected by a transverse garment receiving rod 31 and have'outwardly extending lugs 34 adapted to rest on the projections 16 at the 0pposite sides of the bag so as to space the rod 31 inwardly from the projection 16. The opposite end of the arms are turned upwardly as shown at 36, Figures 1 and 3, and pivotally connected at 37 to an anchoring member 38.

The length of the upwardly turned portions 30 and 36 and the bracket 3334 is such that the arms 29 are substantially parallel to the ridges l6 and the rod 31 is approximately centrally locatedbetween the line of the arms 29 and the ridges 16.

The anchoring member 38 to which the arm 29 is pivotally connected is herein shown as slidably and removably mounted in a retaining member 38 to enable the garment carrying frame to be removed when it is desired to use the bag without the wardrobe feature.

Strips 39 provided with hooked ends 4:0 are rigidly attached to the arms 29 at the angular portion 36. The arm 29 has attached thereto, a second strip 43 having a rectangular aperture 44 therein, which strip cooperates with the hooked end l0 to support a retaining board 46.

The retaining board 46 comprises a rectangular board preferably made of light wood or fiber extending between the two arms 29 from the hooked portion to a point adjacent the angular portion 30. The strip is bound on the parallel edges contacting the arms 29 with a metallic angle bar 47 having a rectangular aperture 48 therein, positioned to fit over the edge of the strip 43 attached to the arm 29. The angle bar 47 has the short leg thereof spaced from and parallel to the edge along which it fits as shown at 49 to receive the arm 29 therebetween.

The board is attached to the arms 29 by placing one end thereof underneath the hooked portion 40, and fastening the strip 43 within the slot 48 by means of the tongue 51, thus supporting the retaining board adjacent the four corners thereof. This construction givessupport for the retaining board at the four corners thereof with but two locks to be manipulated.

A clothes hanger 54 is rigidly connected to a strip 55 having a pivotal connection with a second strip 56. The strip 56 is slidably mounted in a retaining member 57 attached to the side of the container 10 adjacent the hinged edge of the container. g

A spring lock 50 is fixed to the board 46 and has a tongue 51 which passes through the apertures 44 to support that end of the retaining board from the arms 29.

It will be noted at this point, that the end of the coat hanger may readily be moved longitudinally in the member 5'7 (transversely of the compartment 10) but is restrained from moving in any other direction.

The suit is packed in the usual way in the wardrobe section, that is, the trousers are hung over a bar 59, while the coat shown in dash and dot lines at 60, is hung over the top of the hanger. The coat and trousers are then folded back over the bar 31 and pressed against the top part of the garments by fastening the retaining board 46 in place. The remaining articles may be packed as convenientin the bag and the separator 14 fastened on top of the suit by means of clips 61 which cooperate with corresponding means on the separator 14.

It is to be noted that inasmuch as the garments are confined between the separator and the retaining board when the case is packed and are thereby spaced from the'outer flexible walls of the case, they will be protected against being crushed or wrinkled either by contact with articles carried in the compartment 10 or by inward deflection of the flexible outer walls.

It is customary in Gladstone bags to open the bag out flat in the position shown in Figure 1. Since articles besides the suit are packed in both compartments 10 and 11, it is desirable to have the suit so that it may be readily swung to one side or the other.

When it is desired to remove articles which are packed in the bottom of the container 10, the entire wardrobe element may be swung over into the position shown in dot and dash lines at 62 to rest on the top of the separator 14 and give access to the bottom of the compartment 10.

In swinging the garment hanger over to a position on top of container 11, the angular portion 36 of the arm 29 and the shelf 34 cooperate to give the suit the same relative position it occupied in closed position and the sliding joint/5'7 allows the hanger to move upwardly so that the entire wardrobe carrier may occupy the same relative position regardless of the angular position of the garment carrying frame.

It is realized that this invention is susceptible to various changes in modifications and is not to be confined alone to the particular type herein described or limited to a Gladstone bag, but it is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a garment carrying frame including a pair of spaced arms, a hook member adjacent one end of each of said arms, a retaining board supported at one end thereof on said hooks, and means on said board cooperating with means on said arms to a support said board from said arms at the opposite end of the board from said hooks.

2. In a device of the character described, a support, a garment carrying frame including a pair of spaced arms hinged at one end thereof to said support, a bracket for supporting the opposite ends of said arms, a hook member on each of said arms adjacent said hinge, a retaining board supported at one end thereof on said hooks, and

means on said board cooperating with means on said arms to support the end of said board remote from said hooks from said arms.

3. In a device of the character described, a garment carrying frame including a pair of spaced arms, a hook member adjacent one end of each of said arms, and a retaining board between said arms and partly supported on said hooks, said board comprising a thin board section having two opposite edges thereof reinforced with an angle having a short leg thereof parallel to and spaced from the edge of said board and means on said board cooperating with means on said arms and with said hooks for supporting the retaining board from said arms.

4. In a hand bag of the type described, including a rectangular compartment having an inset peripheral shoulder spaced inwardly from and parallel to the top edge of said compartment, a garment carrying frame hingedly mounted adjacent said shoulder, a shelf on the end of said frame remote from the hinged mounting thereof and adapted to rest on said shoulder to support said frame, a major portion of said frame being spaced inwardly in said compartment from said shelf and substantially parallel thereto.

5. In a wardrobe case of the character described comprising two complementary sections hinged together along one edge of their open sides to be movable from a closed position in which the open sides of the sections engage to an open position with both sections in substantially fiat alignment, a garment supporting frame comprising spaced arms connected at their outer ends by a garment supporting bar, means hingedly mounting the opposite ends of the spaced arms in one of the sections adjacent the hinged connection of the sections, a garment hanger about which garments are draped preparatory to being folded over the garment supporting bar of the frame, and means adjacent said hinged connection to mount the garment hanger from a wall of the section in which the garment supporting frame is mounted, the garment supporting frame being offset near its hinged mounting and the mounting means for the garment hanger being slidable whereby the garment supporting frame and hanger with a garment draped thereover are movable from a position in parallel alignment with the section in which the garment hanger and frame are mounted to a position disposed flatwise over the open side of the other section when the case is open and the sections are in flat alignment.

6. In a wardrobe case of the character described comprising two hingedly connected sections adapted to be moved from a closed position engaging their open sides to an open position in which their open sides are substantially in a common plane, a separator hingedly mounted adjacent the hinged connection of the sections to be movable to and from a position overlying the open side of either section when the case is open, a garment carrying frame comprising spaced arms connected at their outer ends by a garment supporting bar, means engaging the opposite ends of the arms to hingedly mount the frame in one section adjacent the hinged connection of the sections, a supporting bracket at the outer end of the frame, a garment hanger adapted to receive a garment preparatory to being folded over the garment supporting bar of the frame, means to mount the garment hanger in said section in which the frame is mounted and adjacent the hinged connection of the sections, and said spaced arms of the frame being offset near their hinged mounting and the mounting for the garment hanger being slidable so as to enable the frame and hanger with a garment thereon to be swung from a position disposed entirely within the section in which the frame and hanger are mounted to a position overlying the separator in its position closing the open side of the other section when the case is open, said bracket on the frame engaging the separator to space the frame from the separator.

'7. In combination with a hand wardrobe case of the character described comprising two complementary semi-rigid sections hinged together along one edge of their open sides, a garment carrying frame pivotally mounted adjacent the hinged connection of the sections and having a garment supporting bar at its outer free end, a garment hanger mounted adjacent the hinged connection of the sections and on which a garment to be carried may be draped to be folded over the garment supporting bar, and rigid walls juxtapose the opposite sides of the garment carrying frame and hanger to protect the garments carried thereby against contact with articles carried in the case and inward deflection of its flexible side walls.

8. In a hand wardrobe case of the Gladstone type comprising two complementary sections having flexible side walls and hinged together along one edge of their open sides, means to carry a mans suit or similar garment neatly folded within the case comprising, a pivotally mounted frame having spaced side arms hingedly, mounted at one end to swing about an am's near the hinge axis of the case sections and having a garment supporting member connecting their outer free end portions, a garment hanger mounted within said spaced side arms for swinging movement on an axis also near said hinge axis and on which a garment to be carried may be draped to be folded over the garment supporting member of the frame, and means to hold said garment supporting frame and garment hanger spaced a substantial distance from each of the flexible side walls of the case when the same is closed with the garment supporting member of the frame uppermost when the case is in carrying position so that the garments carried hang from the garment supporting member and are spaced considerably from the flexible side walls of the case.

9. In combination with a hand wardrobe case of the Gladstone type comprising two complementary sections hinged together along one edge of their open sides and having a separator hingedly mounted adjacent the hinged connection of the sections to overlie either section when the case is open, a garment supporting frame mounted to swing about an axis adjacent the hinged mounting of the separator and having a garment supporting member at its outer free end, a garment hanger adjacent the hinged mounting of the separator and on which a garment may be draped to be folded over the supporting member of the frame, the separator providing a protecting covering for one side of the garment, and a retaining board carried by the frame to cover and protect the opposite side of the garment.

10. In a hand wardrobe case of the Gladstone type including hingedly connected complementary sections and having a separator medially disposed between said sections, means to support a mans suit or similar garment in the case, said means being mounted adjacent the separator so that the separator covers one side of the garment to protect the same but being entirely independent of the separator, and a stifi retaining board to cover and protect the other side of the garment.

11. In combination with a hand wardrobe case of the character described having flexible side walls, means to carry a mans suit or similar garment neatly folded within the case, and rigid inner walls engageable with the opposite sides of the garment to protect the same against contact with articles in the case or inward deflection of the flexible side walls of the case, one of said rigid inner walls being carried by the garment carrying means and the other being mounted separately of the garment carrying means.

GEORGE HENRY WHEARY. 

